Clansman has something to prove at Ashburton

Press, 6 September 1983, Page 25

Clansman has something to prove at Ashburton

By

J. J. BOYLE

Is Clansman that much inferior to Every Show?

Clansman’s rating on 57kg in the Hurley Mazda Handicap at Ashburton today invites the question. Every Show was given the same weight in the corresponding race on the first day of the Ashburton meeting, and placed 7kg above the Washdyke-trained Goldcrest. But Goldcrest is only Ikg below Clansman in today’s race. What price Goldcrest in his effort to beat Clansman, which was clearly Every Show’s superior when they met in the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas last spring? Clansman was first and Every Show fifth in that, the first main classic of last season. Clansman also won the John Grigg Stakes, the North Canterbury Racing Club’s Building Society Mile, and a maiden race last season besides a second at weight-for-age in the Clifford Plate, thirds in the

Levin Classic and Avondale Guineas, and a fourth in the New Zealand Derby. Those performances gained for him fourth top weight of 55.5 in the Free Handicap for three-year-olds, with I.skg more than the New Zealand Oaks winner, Aulyn, and 2.5 kg more than the top South Island filly, Queen’s Pal. Every Show was given 53kg. Goldcrest’s connections might now be wondering if their hopeful would have had the same exalted ranking in comparison with Clansman if he had been four years younger and so eligible for consideration for last season’s Free Handicap. Before Clansman puts in his appearance today, Gaffa and Charles Beaufort should have points on the board for Dave Kerr’s Riccarton stable. Charles Beaufort goes

into the Ashburton Cup as the winner of his last four races. Gaffa, unbeaten in two starts in his trainer’s colours, is an abvious chance for the DB John Grigg Stakes for three-year-olds. Gaffa will bridge a family gap of 21 years in the John Grigg Stakes if he wins that feature race for three-year-olds today. His grandam, Seaend, won the 1962 renewal of that race for the Kerr stable, then went on to capture the Dunedin Guineas. Clansman and Charles Beaufort both ran for the stable in the John Grigg Stakes last year, and were the two best-backed runners. Clansman won. Charles Beaufort failed to reach the money, but two starts later ran an unlucky second in the Dunedin Guineas. The field for today’s John Grigg Stakes has a greater

depth of form than usual, and Canterbury three-year-olds should not dominate the race. Hill’s Peak, from Wingatui, looked promising in beating all but Gaffa in his race debut at the Christchurch Hunt meeting at the tail-end of last season, and could not have been more impressive in winning at the Oamaru meeting last month. Donizetti will be one of the problem runners in the John Grigg Stakes field. He showed high promise in a successful two-year-old spring campaign last season. This time up he has pleased in everything he has done in training, but his racing performances have not had matching quality. If, as is suspected, field shyness might be his main handicap David Walsh might explore Donizetti’s powers as a front runner today.